Consumers who have large electric energy requirements, and who obtain their electric energy directly from a distributed power grid, are not always able to use the electric energy most efficiently. This is particularly so when such consumers are governmental agencies or large industrial entities that have variable electric energy requirements within any 24-hour period of time. For example, nighttime lighting for streets, parking lots, public parks, and other venues have large, daily recurring, electric energy requirements. Typically, these requirements are for determinable periods of time. Otherwise they are idle.
Insofar as actual light sources are concerned, within a particular power grid, different types of light sources will be employed for different operational purposes and have different electric energy (power) requirements. Despite these disparities, allotted power from the distributed power grid is available to all consumers. A consequence of this is that power allotted for a particular point in the grid may not be used, or used inefficiently.
In recent years, efforts have been made to supplement the distributed power grid with electric energy from renewable sources such as wind turbines and solar arrays. Although many of these renewable sources have been successfully implemented, distributed power grids are still used, and the above noted inefficiencies in power usage still persist. Thus, excess power from the distributed power grid is often available for use. The present invention, however, recognizes that this unused power may be most efficiently supplemented by employing renewable energy sources directly at the point of sale (i.e. at a light post location). A case on point is the growing need for convenient charging stations for electric vehicles.
With the above in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) which will maximize the use of excess electric energy at a point in a distributed power grid by supplementing the excess energy with electric energy from renewable energy sources located at the point of sale. Another object of the present invention is to consolidate solar and wind generated electric energy with electric energy from a distributed power grid, and to prioritize a distribution of the consolidated energy for its optimal use. Still another object of the present invention is to incorporate renewable sources of electric energy (e.g. wind and solar) with a light post that is connected into a distributed power grid, to thereby establish an EV charging station that is easy to implement, is simple to use and is cost effective.